US CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION
TO PROBE ALLEGATIONS
OF VOTING IRREGULARITIES IN FLORIDA

Hearings Scheduled in Tallahassee January 11 & 12

Washington, DC – Responding to allegations of voting irregularities
in the November 7 presidential election, the US Commission on Civil Rights
will conduct two days of hearings in Tallahassee, FL, to determine whether
eligible persons were denied the right to vote and if their votes were
properly counted.

The Tallahassee hearings are scheduled for January 11 and 12 at
the Holiday Inn Select Hotel. An open public forum will be held each
day at the conclusion of the formal agenda.

Commissioners will examine subpoenaed records and take sworn testimony
from Florida state and county officials, registered voters and experts
on election reform issues, election laws and procedures and voting rights.
Among the allegations to be examined: voters were improperly removed from
the voting rolls or asked for additional forms of identification; students
of color who had registered to vote were not on the rolls; precincts with
a high concentration of African Americans had an unusually high police
presence; voters were not provided with language assistance, as requested;
and persons with disabilities were not ensured access to polling places.

The Commission is an independent, bipartisan, fact-finding agency
of the federal government with authority to hold hearings and subpoena
both witnesses and documents. It has very broad investigative authority
in the area of voting rights, even when alleged abuses do not involve discrimination,
fraud or other malicious intent.